Mercury's sole minivan has a unique family tree. When the family-wagon craze took Ford by surprise in the early 1990s, the company turned to Nissan to help design the Mercury Villager and its cousin, the Nissan Quest. In exchange for the Nissan-based platform and drivetrain, Ford provided a factory in northeast Ohio to build both the Mercury Villager and the Nissan Quest.Villager and Quest have proven that blended families can produce great offspring. This new second-generation Villager offers a more practical, flexible interior with increased power to satisfy drivers who might be looking at sport-utility vehicles. All Villagers use a 3.3-liter V6 engine that provides 170 horsepower. For 2000, the engine meets California's strict LEV (Low Emissions Vehicle) requirements, making it one of the cleanest minivans on the market. An electronically controlled four-speed automatic transmission takes care of the shifting. One body style is offered. Two sliding doors allow easy entry for rear-seat passengers, while a rear liftgate provides access to the cargo area. The Villager Sport we drove came with a full complement of options, including a six-disc CD changer, leather seats, for an as-tested price of $27,075.
|